Gyroscope or revolving toy



(No Model.)

J. H. WILSON.

GYROSCOPE OR REVOLVING TOY.

Patented Oot z'7 l 89l. ()q f\ Jvwewifzm- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES H. \VILSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

GYROSCOPE OR REVOLVING TOY.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 461,948, dated October27, 1891.

Application filed October 23, 1890. Serial No. 369,03'7- (N0 model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES H. WILSON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Ohicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented a new and useful Machine or Toy, of which the followingis aspecification.

My invention relates to improvements in gyroscopes or other revolvingtoys; and the objects of my improvement are to provide in a simple forma small machine that will combine many interesting features in the wayof gyroscopic rotations and spinning movements, and which at the sametime can be used as a toy. I attain these objects by the mechanismillustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a Viewof the entire machine wound and the wheel ready to be set in revolutionby suspending the thread or cord atA and allowing the wheel and axle tofreely descend under the law of gravity, the dotted line showing thepath of such descent and the position of the cord, axle, and wheelduring the period of maximum rotation of said wheel and axle. Fig. 2 isan illustration of the wheel and axle with a cord Hwound upon the axleand the wheel ready to be set in motion or revolution by the rapidunwinding of said. cord H from said axle, the whole being suspendedduring said process of unwinding by the thread or cord B, one portion ofsaid thread or cord B being looped into a groove F in said axle near oneend thereof and the other or remote end of said thread or cord B beingfastened into a link or groove near the other or remote end of said axlein such manner as to allow said axle to freely revolve in said loop,link, ring, or fastening of said thread or cord B. Fig. 3 is a sectionalview of the entire machine, designed to illustrate the law of action andreaction, one end of the thread or cord B being fastened loosely ingroove F or link E and the other or remote end of said thread beingdrawn through the hole or aperture G in the hub K and there wound uponthe axle 0, ready to make the descent when suspended from the point A.Fig. 4. is a view of the entire machine as last above described, thewheel and axle having been put in motion or revolution by descent from apoint near the point of suspension A and by the unwinding of said threador cord from said axle. The dotted portion of said Fig. 4 shows theupward return or position of said wheel and axle after they havedescended the distance or length of said thread or cord so Wound uponsaid axle and again ascended by the automatic winding of said threadorcord upon said axle, as aforesaid. Fig. 5 is a sectional View of theentire machine without the thread or cord necessary to cause said axleand wheel to revolve and without the necessary thread or cord to supportsaid axle and wheel during the period of rotation thereof. Fig. 6 is aplan view of the entire machine without the thread or cord last abovedescribed.

Similarletters refertosimilarparts throughout the several views.

I is a wheel, the principal weight of which is in the periphery. O is anaxle or shaft, with which said wheel revolves, the length of this shaftmay equal about the diameter of said'wheel, and the ends protrudethrough the center of said wheel about an equal distance on each sidethereof and at right angles to the sides of said wheel.

A is the point of suspension of the thread or cord B.

B is a thread or cord having one end thereof connected with the shaft 0by aloop made in one end of said cord fastened loosely in the groove F,orconnected with said shaft by being fastened to a ring or link ofmetal, clasped or fastened loosely into said groove. D is a flange,washer, or wheel fastened upon said shaft C between the point F and saidwheel I. E is a link or ring loosely fitting in the annular groove Fnear one end of said shaft 0. F F are annular grooves made insaid shaftor axle C, one of said grooves being made in said shaft near each end ofsaid shaft and parallel with the sides of said wheel when in place. Gisa hole or aperture through said wheel I or through the hub of saidwheel, at or near the outer surface, when in place, of said shaft oraxle, and parallel with the length of said axle or shaft.

H is an independent thread or cord wound upon the shaft G between thewasher or wheel D and the wheel I, used to impart rotary motion to saidshaft or axle O and wheel 'I when I sides of said washer or wheel D forthe reception of said-shaft or axle O.

The manner of constructing and operating the machine may be brieflydescribed as followsthat is to say: A wheel I is made of metal or othersuitable material and of any desired size. The device operates the mostsatisfactorily when the principal weight of the wheel is in or near theperiphery of said wheel. A hole M is made in the wheel I at the centerof said Wheel and in a direction perpendicular to the sides thereof. Ashaft or axle O is then made of about the same diameter as said hole M.This shaft may be of any desired length, but ordinarily should in lengthbe about equal to the greatest diameter of said wheel I. Annular groovesFF are'made in and upon said shaft or axle near the ends thereof. Saidshaft or axle O is then inserted in said hole M in said wheel I to aboutthe middle of said axle or shaft 0 and there securely fastened. Saidwheel and axle may also be made solid or of one piece, if desired. Ahole or aperture G is made through the hub K of said wheel or throughsaid wheel near to and parallel with said hole M. A washer or wheel D isthen made having a hole N at the center thereof, which hole should bethe same diameter as said shaft or axle O. Said washer orwheel D is thenadvanced upon said shaft or axle O to a point about midway between saidwheel I and said groove F at one end of said shaft or axle, at whichpoint said washer or wheel D is securely fastened to said shaft or axleC. A ring or link E, of metal or other suitable material, is thenfastened around said axle or shaft 0 in said groove F. Atthe otherorremote end of said shaft or axle 0, into a ring or other suitableprojection of said link E, said thread or cord 13 is securely fastened.This link E is inserted and fastened in said groove F in such manner asto allow said axle or shaft to easily revolve in said link. Said cord orthread B may also be looped or tied in said groove F in such manner asto allow said shaft or axle to revolve in said loop so made or tied, asaforesaid,in the end of said cord or thread without the intervention ofsaid metal ring or link.

. The manner of operating the device may be briefly described asfollows: After one end of said thread or cordhas been looped into ortied into said groove F or into said ring or linkE the thread or cord isthen drawn over the periphery of said wheel I, Fig. 1. So much of saidcord as is thus drawn over said periphery is then evenly wound upon saidshaft or axle 0 between said wheel I and said washer or wheel D, leavinga portion of said thread or cord near the point A, from which to suspendthe machine during the process of unwinding. Said thread or cord B isthen grasped by the hand or otherwise suspended at a suitable distancefrom the floor or other obstruction, and the other hand or support forsaid wheel and axle is removed when the unwinding of said cord or threadfrom said axle or shaft will cause said wheel and axle to rapidly rotateor revolve in avertical plane until said thread or cord is whollyunwound,

when the wheel I, during the maximum of its.

revolution or rotation, will assume the position of the gyroscope shownin Fig. 1, the thread B acting as the point of suspension of said wheeland axle.

' The machine is also operated by fastening one end of said thread orcord in said link E upon one end of said shaft or axle, and by loopinganother portion of said thread or cord in the groove F in the other orremote end of said axle or shaft, first winding upon said shaft or axlebetween wheel I and said washer D another and independent thread or cordH. The machine, when operated as herein last mentioned, is set in motionby firmly grasping the thread or cord B at the points A A, Fig. 2, withone hand and grasping the thread or cord II at or near the point H andsharply drawing the thread or cord II from the axle. This movement willcause the thread or cord H to rapidly revolve the axle G and wheel I,when upon loosening the grasp of the hand or fingers from said thread orcord 13 at A the wheel I will drop and revolve as at first described,being supported during the revolutions thereof by said thread or cord B.

The machine is also operated by fastening one end of said thread or cord13 in the link E, and then threading said cord or thread through thehole Gr of said wheel I, Figs. 3 and 4, and then winding upon said shaftor axle between said wheel I and washer D so much of said thread as hasbeen drawn through said hole, reserving a portion of said thread or cordfrom which to suspend the same at A, when the machine is put inoperation. The machine, when set or wound as last-above described, isput in motion by suspending the same by the thread or cord B at or nearthe point A at a suitable distance from the floor or other obstruction,and allowing said wheel and axle or shaft to freely descend by their ownweight, which descent and suspension of said cord B at A and unwindingof said cord will cause said shaft and wheel to rapidly revolve, whichrevolution will continue for alimited period of time after said threador cord shall have become unwound from said shaft or axle, and as a'result of said continued revolutions of said wheel and shaft said threador cord will antomatically wind upon said shaft or axle and cause saidwheel and axle to ascend, as is in- IIO ' Wheel and axle.

I am aware that prior to my invention a thread or cord acting upon ashaft has been used to impart rotary motion to Wheels. I therefore donot claim such a combination broadly.

What I do claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is

1. The combination of the Wheel 1, having the hole G,with the shaft 0,having groove F, into which thread 13 is loosely fastened or attached bylink E, said shaft 0 having Washer D thereon.

2. The combination of the Wheel I, having the hole G, with the shaft 0,having grooves F and F and having Washer D thereon, and

with the thread 13 fastened loosely in groove F or attached to link E insaid groove.

JAMES H. WILSON.

lVitnesses:

WM. M. RHEEM, E. G. WURDEMAN.

